Device for rendering logs buoyant



(No M60161.

G. DURYEE. DEVICE FOR RENDERING LOGS BUOYANT. I

Patented Mar 3, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE,

GEORGE DURYEE, OF ORANGE, NElV JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR RENDERING LOGS BUOYANT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,668, dated March 3,1891.

Application filed March 4, 1890. Serial No, 342,551. (Nb model) To (allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE DURYEE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Orange,

Essex county, New Jersey, have invented cerespecially felt where thelogging region is near or surrounded by low swampy lands, through whicha railroad of course could not be built. Hence the object of theinvention is to render green non-buoyant logs buoyant, so as to moreeffectually adapt them to the process of rafting or floating from thecamp to the mill; and it consists in features of novelty hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In practiceI tap the log to be rendered buoyant about midway of itslength, driving the auger transversely through it until the heart of thelog is pierced, and into this bore I force under considerable pressure asufficient quantity of a liquid whose specific gravity is less than thatof water to force from the pores the natural fluids of the wood and tosupport the log in water. For this purpose I prefer to employ a mixtureof naphtha and paraffine, but any other oil will answer, and thequantity to be forcedinto the pores of the log will, of course, varywith the size and nature of the individual log and the distance orlength of time necessary to'float it. But as a guide the operationshould be continued until the oil reaches both ends of the log, whichwillbe indicated by the change of color and the odor of the oilnoticeable at such points, though if it is desired to also thoroughlyseason the log the operation should be prolonged sufficiently toimpregnate all the cells of the wood. It is found that with oak logs twofeet in diameter by fifty feet in length about five gallons of oil willbe required.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing illustrating the apparatus bywhich my process is carried out, the figure is a transverse section of alog, taken longitudinally through the bore made for the introduction ofthe oil, and also showing the pump and connections by which the desiredpressure is produced.

Owing to the great tendency to leakage of the oil when attempted to beinjectedinto the log at the end and the great difficulty in forcing theoil the full length of long logs, I inj ect from the center ormid-length toward the ends, and in this way the oil has but half thedistance to travel that it would were it inj ected from the end, and,moreover, in this way I am enabled to entirely prevent leakage. Inproceeding, therefore, I first sink a bore 1 transversely into the log,and into this bore I force a metallic pipe 2, which, however, need notfit the bore tightly nor need it extend the full length thereof, but, onthe contrary, it is preferably only about one-third the length of thebore. The outer end of this pipe 2 is provided with a head 4, whosediameter is considerably larger than the pipe 2, and surrounding thepipe 2, between the log and said head, is a stout rubber gasket 5 orother suitable packing-ring. The purpose of such gasket it will be seenis to prevent the escape of the oil from the bore 1 between the head atand the periphery of the log, and to make the gasket more effectual andgive it a regular smooth seat I prefer to plane down or flatten theperiphery of the log, as at 6, around the outer end of the bore 1, sothat the gasket, when compressed tightly between the log and head at,will form a perfect packing and prevent the escape of oil.

In order to hold the tube 2'in place and to produce the requisite degreeof pressure on the gasket 5, I provide a clamp or collar 7, whichsurrounds the log and bears upon the outer side of the head 4. Thiscollaror band is provided where it crosses the head 4 with a threadedperforation 8, which coincides with and is equal in diameter to the boreof the head 4, which latter is also threaded interiorly, the purpose ofthese tWo threaded apertures being to receive the threaded end of acoupling 9. This coupling 9 is secured to a pipe 12, which leads to anysuitable forcepump, such as 13, for injecting the fluid into the cellsof the wood. The band or collar 7 may be provided with any suitabledevice for tightening it on the log, but for the sake of simplicity andcheapness I prefer to divide the band and overlap its ends, so that theymay be provided with a series of coincident holes 10 and securedtogether by means of a pin 11 and a wedge 11, driven under the band onthe opposite side of the log.

Vith this invention pile and ship timber could be prepared byimpregnating the log with benzine in which nux vomica or other solventpoison has been previously digested for a week or two and heavyparafline afterward added.

For the purpose of this invention an y spirit varnish may be used inplace of oil-for instance, rosin dissolved in turpentine or asphaltumand benzine where such mixtures are handier or cheaper than oils. Withgreen logs a powerful hydraulic pump with power of ten tons per squareinch, made portable and on wheels, to be used in the woods for oak, &c.,or on aboat or raft for cypress logs, is to be used, and the process ofpumping continned until the required oil is pumped in and some air also,and then the holes are plugged up before floating. The sap is forced outof the cells and replaced by the oil and evaporation prevented.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the pipe for entering the log, having the head 4,adapted to be connected to a pump, an adjustable clampin g-band bearingupon said head and adapted to encircle the log, and a pin for connectingthe ends of said bands together, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the pipe for entering the log, having the head i,the pipe 9, secured in said head and adapted to be con nected to a pump,and a rigid adjustable clamping-band bearing upon said head and having aperforation for the passage of said pipe 9, substantially as set forth.

GEORGE DURYEE.

Witnesses:

R. F. FIELD, W. MALvY.

